Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad

My daughter pulled this from a TikTok video. Perfect side dish for any Asian bowl or meal :)

Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

10-20 Pickling cucumbers, sliced into 1/4" rounds

1/4 cup GF soy sauce

2 cloves garlics minced

1tsp ginger minced

2Tbls rice vinegar 

1/2-1 tsp chili oil

3 Tbls agave

2 Tbls sesame seeds

Method

Cover sliced cucumbers with salt for 5 mins, rinse well and drain.

Add all sauce ingredients into a small bowl and whisk till well combined.

Pour over drained cucumbers.

Asian Style Eggplant

Original recipe from The Delicious Crescent - I love that you can use regular eggplant! 

This is a great side dish for Asian style bowls and meals.

Asian Style Eggplant

Ingredients

1 pound eggplant Italian, Japanese or globe variety, medium size

¼ teaspoon salt some will be wiped out

4 tablespoons sesame oil divided

1 tablespoons sesame seeds toasted

1 tablespoon ginger peeled and minced

2 cloves garlic grated, optional

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes mild or chopped red chili pepper

½ teaspoon paprika try smoked paprika, optional

2 tablespoons soy sauce low sodium, adjust per taste

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon maple syrup or sugar

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons chopped green onions

Salt adjust per soy sauce

Method

Preheat oven to 425F.

Wash the eggplant, wipe it dry and cut it into ¾ inch slices. 

Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper (I use silicon baking mats which are reusable and easy to clean!)

Pat dry eggplant with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. 

Slice into 1/3" rounds and brush the slices evenly with about 2 tablespoons oil. 

Arrange eggplant in a single layer.

Bake until fork tender for about 30 to 35 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a saute pan, heat remaining oil at medium high. Add sesame seeds and toast lightly. 

Add ginger, garlic and stir then add red pepper flakes and paprika. 

Turn off the heat and let the spices steep in oil for 2 minutes, until they release some color. 

Stir in soy sauce, vinegar and maple syrup.

Add roasted eggplant, green onions, cilantro and toss well to coat. 

Serve with steamed rice. I used as part of an Asian style bowl for lunch prep.

Quiche Lorraine

Adapted vegan/GF from Quiche Lorraine recipe by Craig Claiborne in the NY Times.

Vegan Quiche Lorraine

Ingredients

Pastry for a one-crust nine-inch pie (I love Wholly Wholesome premade pie crust)

1/2 bag Louisville Vegan Toppin's - Bacon Bits

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 cup vegan cheese of choice. I used Miyoko's liquid mozzarella.

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, I used Follow Your Heart Parmesan 

1 Bottle of Just Egg 

1/2 tsp black salt (kala namak)

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Line a nine-inch pie plate with the pastry. The Wholly Wholesome is already in the pie dish so done!

Bake 10 minutes.

Reduce the oven heat to 375 degrees. Take out pie crust and set aside.

Cook the onion in the a small amount of olive oil until the onion is transparent. Set aside.

In a bowl add the Just Eggs, black salt, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste, whisk to combine. Add in bacon bits, onion and cheese.

The recipe says to layer the bottom of the pie crust with the bacon bits, onion and cheese and then pour over the egg mixture.

Slide the pie onto a baking sheet.

Bake the pie until a knife inserted one inch from the pastry edge comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Remove to a wire rack. Let stand five or 10 minutes before serving.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

 Original recipe from Nora Cooks.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Ingredients

2 Tbls olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium russet potato, peeled and chopped

3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup raw cashews

4 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1-2 cups water, as needed (see instructions)

4 cups broccoli, finely chopped

2 cups shredded vegan cheddar cheese (I didn't have any so I used a 1/2 disc of Miyoko's Farmhouse Cheddar and some Violife Feta)

Method

 

In a large soup pot, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil for 2-3 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently.

To the pot, add the potato, carrots, cashews, vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika and salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, until fork tender.

Working in batches if needed, transfer the soup carefully to a blender and blend until very smooth.

Return the mixture back to the pot. 

If your soup is too thick, add water until a desired consistency is reached (I used 1 cup of water). 

Add in the bite sized broccoli florets and cheese, if using, and stir into the soup. I included the broccoli in the soup and pureed all of it because my kids don't like visible vegetables LOL

Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer for 10 minutes, until the broccoli is soft and cooked. 

The cheese should also be melted into the soup.

Serve, topping with more vegan cheddar cheese shreds, if desired. I topped with feta.